RANK 64 (4 votes)

RANK 4 (23 votes)

This game’s existence, from its inception to its eventual reception and legacy, is nothing short of a miracle. Burning down the institution of tropes and conventions laden in the industry at the time, Demon’s Souls is a title that stands tall in its own corner of reality and feels entirely disconnected from everything that came before or since. I think it's rather easy to appreciate as a game that constantly pushes the limits of what it can get away with, but what makes it truly remarkable is how complete and well-realized an experience it ended up being in spite of some admittedly bizarre choices. From the world design and tone, to the allocation of important items and separation of valuable NPC’s, to the cruel yet creative ways the player can be kicked while they’re down - everything is constantly firing on all cylinders and comes together beautifully to create something that should not be as cohesive as it is. You could uncharitably read it as difficult for difficulty’s sake, but Demon’s Souls is a game that, if you give it your attention and intuition during play, will reward you with one of the consistently gripping and soulful experiences in the entire medium.
(LukeGirard)

RANK 64 (4 votes)

RANK 14 (13 votes)

Dark Souls is a title that has come to carry a lot of weight with it in recent years. FromSoftware's breakout game following the success of Demon's Souls catapulted them into the mainstream spotlight. On top of spawning several sequels and spiritual successors from its developer, Dark Souls has created an entire genre of "soulslikes" attempting to follow in its footsteps. Despite the many games that have come after it, many still consider this the studio's magnum opus and the best of its kind. Much of the early focus on Dark Souls was about its difficulty; how it brought an old school, hardcore approach to game design back into the limelight. I would argue, however, that the real reason behind its lasting appeal is its world. Lordran is a place unlike any other in games, and the details of its design show a mastery rarely seen. The areas the player travels through are large, dense, and dreamlike, but all connect back to each other in ways that feel simultaneously surprising and logical. Exploring the world of Dark Souls is a joy unlike anything else, and is the driving force behind many of its players pushing through to master its difficult combat. Many of its other elements are also well done but would take too long to get into here, but Dark Souls is a very important game that many players and developers have learned from, and will continue to in the years to come.
(Silverhand)

RANK 81 (3 votes)

RANK 47 (5 votes)

Final Fantasy VII may have truly brought JRPGs to the mainstream two years later, but Chrono Trigger was the genre’s first true blockbuster. Brought to life by an absolute dream team of minds, most notably Hironobu Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy), Yuji Horii (Dragon Quest) and Akira Toriyama (Dragon Quest/Dragon Ball), Chrono Trigger is a celebration – and arguably pinnacle – of everything JRPGs had done to that point. Its epic scale and wealth of exploration is tempered by a very manageable difficulty and streamlined pacing, making it accessible even to RPG novices. And while some players may point to its simplistic plot and themes as a shortcoming, its excellent script and masterful storytelling show that the best of humanity can be found in these simple virtues that even a child – or cavewoman – can understand. In being one of the few games that has similarly affected this humble blurb-writer at whatever age he has played it at, Chrono Trigger shows that it – rather aptly – transcends time.
(iyellatcloud)

RANK 39 (6 votes)

Whilst it might be known for its wonderful aesthetics, gameplay that is challenging and yet wants you to succeed, creative level mechanics, and a sweet-hearted narrative about not giving up in the face of depression and anxiety, what really sets Celeste apart from other platformers is its movement. The controls are elegant in their simplicity - a dash, a jump and directional movement - making the game very approachable, yet the Farewell expansion teaches wavedashing and wall-bouncing as ways of using these basic controls to both further the challenges it can present whilst redefining those earlier levels by showing you the ways to zoom through them that you didn’t realise were there all along; truly the perfect speed-game.

The rabbit-hole goes so deep on how these basic controls emergently interact with each other though to make a list of increasingly silly sounding techniques - five jumps, demodashes, dream hypers, jellyvators, neutral reverse cornerboosts(?!) - which make Celeste rank alongside Super Mario World hacks in terms of being a kaizo designer’s dream; the custom level community surrounding Celeste is so vibrant and talented that you’ll never run out of new levels to play as long as you still have that drive to keep climbing ever-taller mountains.
(AutumnLily)

RANK 28 (8 votes)

Daisuke “Pixel” Amaya’s genocidal drama set against diminutive, interpretation-driven iconography inspired generations of solo indie artists to paint interpersonal stories of loss, often through ever-evolving mechanical lenses and framing mechanisms.

Cave Story demonstrates limited retro tools as the budget developer’s vocabulary: A pivotal ‘old game design principles meet new pathos’ masterpiece. Floaty, NES-inspired gunplay and energized music are all the motivation you have when your newfound allies’ lives are discarded as unceremoniously as trash to the curb. Morbid but not graphic; sorrowful but not suffocating; dark yet humanly-playful. Pixel art and chiptune obfuscate emotional beats into dread-fueled imagination: The player is a mute spectator, fighting like hell to remedy even a fraction of a hopeless, cruel fate. Yet through all of this, Cave Story is still excellent on gameplay, thanks to stellar weapon and enemy design. The active EXP system encourages defensive maneuvers without inhibiting the player’s ability to take risky point-blank gambles. And despite Nicalis wranging control over the IP, Cave Story’s freedom-seeking spirit lives on in the homebrew scene, available on over 2 dozen platforms, new and old.
(MagneticBurn)

RANK 28 (8 votes)

On paper, Symphony of the Night sounds like a trainwreck. It's a game that can be broken in half with a million setups like using twin Crissaegrims to slash enemies 120 times per second or the Alucard Shield + Rod combo to nuke enemies just by touching them while absorbing their health. The visuals consist of an uncanny amalgamation of hand-drawn 2D art, pixel art, and 3D models. Yet, as Alucard said, Dracula's castle is a creature of Chaos; everything about this game embodies that concept flawlessly. Thousands of weapons and items either are just lying around Castlevania or spawn randomly; the sheer amount of items to find make every playthrough feel at least subtlely unique. The voice acting for the dub is legendarily dreadful, and honestly that was for the best; nobody is playing a Castlevania game for the story, but everybody can at least remember the iconic "Die monster!" scene. Symphony of the Night is lightning in a bottle stemming from a sheer lack of restraint in game design and visual consistency. It is more than the sum of its parts and the sheer soul of the experience revolutionized the metroidvania genre forever for good reason.
(C_F)

RANK 47 (5 votes)

A kaleidoscopic smattering of ideas from all walks of old horror movies, but not necessarily to a goofy degree. While camp is a large amount of horror as an artistic medium, Castlevania focuses on the terror that these icons used to instill in people when these films were fresh. Restricting, compelling and isolating in both its control scheme and level design, it’s the essence of horror. Yet there’s a rhythm to it: a mastery that can only be provided by the medium of video games, one where each successive return to Dracula’s satanic castle brings with it growth. A satisfying and rewarding experience each and every time, one so satisfying and inspired that its echoes are felt throughout action platforming to this day.
(Archagent)

RANK 47 (5 votes)

There’s only one shield in Bloodborne: a rusty, wooden shield that says in its description “Shields are nice, but not if they engender passivity.” and this is Bloodborne’s combat approach: don’t be a coward, transfuse your blood with the beasts, ripping their organs off. It’s a very violent game but made in a very elegant way: most of the enemies are battled in cities with gothic architecture or woods that looks like a hand-made scenery from a horror movie, and all of this beautifully interconnected in the same elegancy – and dare I say, even more – as the first Dark Souls. The moon illuminates the floor of those architectures, getting more bloody as the game goes, reflecting the player itself, getting more violent with each fight. Don’t confuse being brave with not being afraid, though. As Eileen, a NPC of the game, says: “Without fear in our hearts, we're little different from the beasts themselves.” We are not supposed to be fearless – this is what makes us humans – but we can’t let it control us. Fight your nightmare and search for the truth, enriching yourself with the frenesi of the battle. Just be careful with all the knowledge you get, the truth may set you free, but if you can't stand it, you will turn into a madman, not so different from the beasts you killed.
(heatten)

RANK 81 (3 votes)

RANK 81 (3 votes)